Apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and other materials



Dec. 13,1927.

D. E. DE LAPE APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER MATERIALS Filed May '7, 1921 WA Ir attoz nu;

as it is commonly termed. In the known- Patented Dec. 13, .1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. DE LAPE, 0]? L08 ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS r012. TREATING HYDRQCARBONS Ann ornnn' MATERIALS.

Application filed May 7, 1921. Serial No. 467,7 64.

This invention'relates to an apparatus for treating materials, wherein'the-materials are pressure. and to gradually relieve the pressure without'diminishin the'temperature.

More especially an oject of the "invention is=to maximize the. yields of hydrocan,

bons of the specific gravity desired.

In the art pertaining to the cracking of hydrocarbons, the heating of the hydrocarbons while undercomparatively high pressures is well understood, the pressure making it possibleto raise the ten'iperature sufliciently to effect dissociation or cracking,

processes, the pressure is maintained at a predetermmed degree dur ng-the cracking operation, and in some of the processses the pressure is removed before the cracked bydrocarbons are condensed, and in others of the processes the pressure is mamtamed on the hydrocarbonswhlle the condensmg 'is effected. It is obvious that in these proc-' esses the vapor, as soon'as evolved, is under pressure; An ob ect ofthe present invention is to subject the hydrocarbons to suflicient heat and pressure to crack them while in a liquid state, and then to gradually diminish the pressure so that the lighter hydrocarbons will vaporize and will issue into the vaporchamber either under no artificial pressure. 'or under a pressure that is less than the initial cracking pressure.

-.In its broader phases, the invention in volve's the passing of the material. to be treated, whether liquid, semi-liquid or solid,

through a molten bath or menstruum of inetal. or minerals .or' a combination ofdiiferent metals or different minerals or..a mixture" under atmospheric pressure or under whatever artificial pressurethe refiner desires to impose thereon.

gradually The invention involves the introduction into a molten bath: of materials such as hydrocarbons alone or mixed with water, steam or any other'desired medium so that, m the case of hydrocarbons for exam le, said hydrocarbons will be craclx'ed' or distilled either Without or in as desired.

-The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus built in accordance with the provisions of the invention and capable of performing the new process, but it is to be understood that the process is not limited to being performed in the apparatus shown and hereinafter described. Figure 1 is a broken vertical mid-sectio of one form of the apparatus. ,Figure 2 is a fragmental elevation, partly in section, of a' modified form of the appara- In the apparatus. illustrated inFigure .1

there is provided a suitable chamber 1 in.

which is amolten bath or menstruum of any suitable metal or mineral or combinatlon 0t metals or minerals or a mixture of metals and minerals. The material employed for the molten bath will depend upon the temperature and pressure to which it is desired to subject the material being treated. As examples, the bat-h may be molten ,lead'or copper or any other fusible material having a greater specific gravity than the material'to be treated. In the lower portion of one of the side Walls of the chamber 1 there is provided an opening 3 through which projects a supply pipe 4 forthe in troduction'of the liquid or semi-liquid being treated, For example, hydrocarbons or a mixture of hydrocarbons and Water or steam may be supplied through the pipe 4. The

pipc t is provided with a valve 5 which may be operated to control the rate of flow of theliquid being treated. The pipe 4 may be connected with a suitable pump, not shown, to force the material, under pressure, into the chamber against the pressure of the menstruum. Of course, if deemed desirable, the oil, water, steam or other liquid or semiliquid being treated could be introduced to the chamber through separate pipes.

Preferably the chamber 1 will be constructed in its interior with a tortuous passage composed of a series of coils or convolutions' 6, the lowermost one of which connects. with the inner end of the pipe 4.

One advantage of the'tortuous construction (ill the presence of steam,

of the passage is that it materially increases the actual distance through which the hydrocarbons must flow from the pipe 1 to the surface of the menstruum.

It may be desirable in some instances, though I do'not limit the inventionto their.

- use, to employ pieces 7 o'f-metalfminerals or metalloids. In the instance shown, these pieces of metal, mineral or metalloid are 1n the form of spheres or balls, and they serve as an aid in breaking up the stream of hydrocarbons introduced through the'pipe -1 so as todistribute the material being treated in a comparatively thin stream in the molten bath, thus to cause practically every particle of the material to-be surroundedby molten particles. Y c

It is to be understood that the molten material constituting the bath is of higher specific gravity than the material which is to be treated so that said material will gradually ascend through the bath to the "surface thereof. It. is also understood that the pieces 7 are of higher melting point than the molten material of the bath so as to-be distinct therefrom.

The menstruum may be meltedand Il'lfllIltained in the molten condition by any suitable heating means,--.and I have illustrateda\ series of electrically-energized heating elements 8, each of which is inserted be tween two adjacent convolutions of the passage through which the menstruum flows. These heating elements are inserted in pockets 9 formed by the spaces between the coils and they are of sufficient size to pro-@ duce the necessary heat for maintaining thebath in molten condition. 5

The uppermost convolution of 'the passage is provided in its top with an opening 10 covered by a screen llwhich permits the material being treated to pass therethrough' but prevents the balls 7 from discharging from the passage. Above the screen 11 is a suitablespace 12 into which the materials being treated can rise. Thus the balls will pile up beneath the screen and cannot all.

Host to the surface of "the molten material. This result is shown more or less diagram matically in Fig. 1 as, in practice, the balls would actually be in contact with one another; This space 12 is surrounded on all sides by a wall 13 which is spaced from the wall of the chamber 1 to form a sump 11' into which materials that remain liquid can discharge from the space 12 by flowing over the upper edge of the wall 13. This liquid can be drawn from the sump 14 through a pipe 15 provided with a valve 16. #Above the level of the wall 13'is formed a vapor chamber 17 which is mounted directly on the chamber 1. 1 s The vapor chamber 17 may be of any suitable construction for receiving the vaporsv as they evolve. In this instance, I have duced, tar, oil shale or thelike.

shown a vapor'outlet .18 in the top of the chamber 17, a pipe 19 lea'ding fromfisaid' outlet to a suitable'condenser or' other apparatus, not shown, 'wherebyrecovery of the I hydrocarbon vapors may be effected. Beneath the top of the chamber 17 is an inverted cone 20 which is'spaced from the top to form a port 21 through which'the vapors can pass to reach'the outlet 18. The cone 20 is provided at its lower end with an t opening 22 through which any condensates caught by the cone can fiow into. the liquid? materialoccupying the space 12, a

The vapors may be discharged chamber 17 through the-pipe 19 as fast as from the they evolve, or, if desired,.a valve 23 may be provided on the pipe 19 to make it possi ble'to produce baclr pressure. on the vapors. Thechamber 1 7 is provided with a pressure gage 24 and -with a safety valve 25. Now referring more particularly to Figure' 2 of the drawings, where not otherwise specifically mentioned tlieapparatus in Figs ure 2 employs the'same elements as those described above, and those elements which can be seen in Figure 2 that are like those 1 shown in Figure 1 will-be indicated by the same reference characters with the addition of an exponent. In this form of the apparatus thereis provided a burner 26' using liquid or gaseous fuels and theconvolutions 6' ofthepassage arespaced from the walls of the chamber 1 so that the heat produced by the burner can flow around the convolutions, the space being indicated at 27. Instead of introducing the material Y through a pipe, asin Figure 1, there-is provideda screw-conveyor 28 whereby solids and semi-solids that cannot be introduced .tl1IO l1gh a pipe are forced into the lowermost convolutions 6.

In practical operation, assuming, forexample, that hydrocarbons are to" be treated in the apparatus, the process is carried on tio'nating operationis all'that is desired, the

material of the men'struum and the temperature will be such as :to'cause'vaporization of the. lighter hydrocarbons at the surface of themenstruum, th eheavi'ern flowing into the sump 14 and -beingdrawni 'off through the pipe 15. The lighter h drocarlions in 1139 the form of vapor rise into t e vap or'cham- 'llO ' introduced into the lower portion of the menstruum the pressure imposedon said hydrocarbons is equal to the weight of the menstruum column, and that as the hydrocarbons rise the pressure gradually decreases until at the surface of the menstruum the pres.- sure is atmospheric or only that imposed by creating back pressure of the vapors; that is to say, the vapors may be taken under no appreciable pressure or they may be held under a pressure greater than atmospheric and less than the initial cracking pressure and condensed under such pressure. By having a series of heating elements arranged at different levels, the temperature of the menstruum may be more readily controlled at the difierent levels.

Though I have described the apparatus as employed more especially in the treating of hydrocarbons for the cracking or fraction ating thereof, it is to be understood that. the apparatus may be employed for treating sawdust,v shavings and other woody material for the recovery of charcoal, pyroligneous acid, benzole, acetic acid and other substances and that dehydration and calcining are also possible in the apparatus. As-examples of materials that may be calcined, among others are gypsum, ochers and-the like.

It is to be understood that if it'bedesirable to heat a higher zone'in the menstruum to a difierent temperature than a lower zone, difierent materials may be employed for the difierent zones, the material of' the higher zone having a different melting point than that ofthe lower zone' and being of a different specific gravity so as to remain in position-above the level, of the material of the lower zone. If the menstruum is homo geneous in character, the temperature therea of may be varied within the temperature scale lying between the melting and vaporization points of the menstruum, and if different materials are used for different zones in the menstruum the temperature of each material, and therefore each zone, may be varied Within the temperature scale lying between the melting and vaporization points of said material. menstruum be homogeneous in character, zones of different temperatures may be created therein by heating the upper zones of the menstruum to a higher temperature than the loWer zones. This is readily done because of the tendency of the cooler material to gravitate to the lower zones.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a chamber having a tortuous passage, separate and independently operating heating means for different courses of said tortuous passage, a body of molten material in the tortuous passage pieces of material in the molten body ot a higher melting point than said molten body, means to prevent some of the pieces of material from floating to the surface of the molten body and means to in troduce material to be treated into the lower course of the tortuous passage.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the tombination of a chamber, separate and selectively operable heating means at different levels in the chamber, a passage extending upwardly from near the lower end of the chamber, a body of molten material Also, even though the in the passage, pieces of material in the molten body of a higher melting point than said molten body, means to. prevent some of the pieces of material from floating to the surface of the molten body, a vapor chamber positioned above the first mentioned cham-' ber, and means to introduce material to be treated into the lower portion of the-molten body.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a chamber, heating means for the chamber, a body of molten material in the chamber, pieces of material in the molten body of a higher melting point than said molten body, a screen ositioned below the surface of the molten ody to prevent some of the pieces of material"- floating to the surface of the molten body, and means to introduce the material to be treated into the lower portion of the molten body.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 29th day of April, 1921. 

